Chapter 11
Egon stood waiting in the lobby of the Metropolitan Opera House for Eden. "La Boheme" had just finished and Eden would be joining him shortly. She had to change out of her costume first. Ever since the incident on Tuesday night, when Eden and Egon had gotten 'mobbed', James Levine had put a stop to Eden leaving by the stage door. Now anyone who wanted to see Miss Eden Parnell, was to line up behind a red velvet rope. Eden, if she wished to do so, Mr. Levine had told her, could go over and sign autographs or talk to the patrons by the rope.
"If you don't feel like signing autographs that day you can just leave." Mr. Levine said to Eden.
Mr. Levine had wanted to give Eden a bodyguard to walk her home, but Eden had refused.
"Egon's my bodyguard and much more Mr. Levine." Eden said smiling and taking Egon's hand in hers. "I don't need anything else."
Egon felt good, both in body and spirit. He had finally been able to sit through a whole performance without his back hurting him. Having missed his recheck appointment last week, Egon had gone to see Charlie on Wednesday.
"Looks good Egon." Charlie told him as he examined Egon's back. "The bruising is starting to subside. It's starting to turn yellow on the edges which is what I want to see happening. I'm going to palpate the area Egon. Let me know if I am hurting you."
Charlie started on the edges and worked his way to the center. As Charlie got to the middle of Egon's back, Egon hissed through clenched teeth.
"Okay, still a little sore right in the middle. That spot is still very dark in color. Let's give it a couple more weeks. Are you still taking your muscle relaxing pills?" Charlie asked.
"Yes, Charlie. I am." Egon said. The pills had been a big help. They were the only reason he was sleeping some nights too.
"Good. Keep out of trouble and I'll see you tonight for the last group meeting. Bring Ray with you as he can't miss this one. I'll see you for another recheck after Christmas."
Egon heard the crowd calling Eden's name as he turned to look towards the theater's doors. Egon gasped when he saw her. Eden was beautiful. Usually Eden wore a blouse and jeans to walk home in. Tonight Eden had her hair done up in a French braid. Eden's long hair was usually down to the middle of her back, but with the French braid it made it look shorter. The ends of the braid hit about four inches right below her shoulders.
Eden wore a long sleeve, black velvet, straight gown that had a white chiffon overlay draped on the neck. Egon could see that as Eden walked towards him the ends of the chiffon came up and over both sides of her shoulders to fall to the ground. As Eden moved, they trailed out behind her.
"Egon. I'm glad you waited for me." she said crossing the lobby to him. Eden took Egon's hands in hers and kissed him on his lips.
"Eden you are beautiful." Egon said pulling away from her to look her over. "I mean it. I think the word I want to use is gorgeous."
Smiling Eden squeezed his hands. "Thank you."
"I have only one question."
"Yes, darling?"
"Why are you all dressed up?"
Eden's mouth turned into a sly smile as she spoke. "It's for tonight. I'll explain when we get back to the apartment. Excuse me while I go sign some autographs."
Eden kissed Egon again on the mouth, and with a final squeeze, let go of his hands and turned to walk away. As she went Egon's heart skipped a beat. "Oh My!" Egon thought, as Eden walked away from him. "Eden's more than gorgeous, she is ravenous."
Egon stared at Eden's retreating back. Egon had only seen Eden this way one other time. That was the night he had seen her in her underwear. The gown that she was wearing was backless. Egon had not seen it from the front. The white chiffon drape ran down both sides of the dress to end at her waist and billow out. The cut of the dress however, was to end right below her waist. The dress also had a split up the back so that Eden could walk.
"When are you going to ask her to marry you?" a voice behind him said.
Egon turned around to see Mr. Pavone standing there. Egon had not heard him come up behind him.
"Mr. Pavone, it's good to see you again." Egon said shaking his hand.
"You didn't answer my question." Mr. Pavone said, releasing Egon's hand and turning him around to look at Eden signing autographs on her way down the line of patrons.
"Mr. Pavone I…" Egon started to say before he was cut off.
"Doctor Spengler just listen to me." Mr. Pavone said as he placed his right hand onto Egon's shoulder and leaned forward to whisper into Egon's left ear.
"There is no way you can let Eden get away from you now. I've seen you two together. You care deeply for this woman before you. You protected her from that crowd a couple of weeks ago. You sheltered her from the storms in her life, not even knowing what they are."
"But…" Egon tried again.
"Doctor Spengler many marriages begin with a certain amount of distance, but as you learn to trust each other it brings you closer together. Eden trusts you. Mind, body and soul. As you learn to trust her you will see that something will happen. You will begin to love her deeper. There will be no other woman to take her place. You will become, 'flesh of her flesh' and 'bone of her bone', then you will cease being husband and wife. You will become one as mates."
"When Eden is feeling down, you will too. And when she is happy, so will you. Trust me. I've been married twenty wonderful years. I liked my wife when we first got married, but I have grown to love her over the years. It will happen for you also."
"But, Mr. Pavone. How can I, when I can't even say the word."
"What, Love?"
"Yes." Egon said turning around to look Mr. Pavone in the face. "I can't say it because I can't feel it. I don't want to give Eden a false sense of security."
"I see." Mr. Pavone said, "But trust me Doctor Spengler, I believe you do love Eden. You just haven't convinced yourself of that yet. Eden has been through a lot over this past year. She has had to learn to trust and love again. Has she told you about what happened to her in June of last year yet?"
"No."
Mr. Pavone nodded his head deep in thought. "Ask her tonight." he finally said. "It's high time that everything is out and in the open with you both. Heaven knows that woman needs you in her life to love her."
"Egon, shall we go?"
Egon turned around to see Eden standing before him.
"Yes." Egon took Eden by the arm and bid Mr. Pavone goodnight.
Egon opened the door to let Eden go outside first. Arm-in-arm Egon walked with Eden past the fountain in the courtyard, with Avery Fisher Hall on his left, heading for Columbus Avenue. If Egon was heading home he would walk up Columbus Avenue to Broadway and catch the subway at 66th Street. But tonight he was taking Eden home and she needed to catch the subway at Columbus Circle to go uptown to 72nd Street and Central Park West.
As they approached Columbus Avenue Egon went to turn right, only to be hauled across the street by Eden.
"The subway station is that way." Egon told her, pointing with his right hand down Columbus Avenue.
"We are walking tonight, Doctor Spengler." Grace said from behind him, running across the street with Helen and Iris following behind her. "See you at the apartment Eden." She giggled and continued down 64th Street to Central Park West.
"Eden that's eight blocks up." Egon told her.
"So. It's a nice night and I'm in a good mood."
"It's also December and cold. Here." Egon said releasing her arm as he slipped out of his overcoat and placed it around Eden's shoulders. "At least take my coat. I don't want you catching a cold and not be able to sing."
"Thank you, but now you are going to be cold." Eden said as she put her arms into the sleeves of Egon's overcoat.
"I'm fine. The tuxedo is made out of wool. So Eden, can you tell me now why you are all dressed up?"
As they approached the end of 64th Street they turned left onto Central Park West and continued walking. "Well," Eden said, as she took Egon's arm again, "It's a surprise. One that I hope you are going to like."
"Okay but…" Egon started to speak, broke off, and sighing at the same time that Eden did, continued.
"I have something I need to ask you." they said together.
Eden laughed. "You first Egon."
"Well, I don't know how to say this but to come right out and say it. Do you like kids?"
"Like kids? Egon, are you kidding me?" Eden stopped walking, bringing Egon to a halt and turned to look him in the face. "Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"
"Well, when I was with Dana a few weeks ago I got to hold her baby Oscar, and that got me thinking."
"About kids?" Eden asked, as she started walking again pulling Egon along.
"Yes and about us. Eden I need to know if you would want to have a child with me?"
Now it was Egon's turn to stop walking as he turned to face Eden waiting for her reply.
"Egon I thought you knew?" Eden said a little taken back.
"Knew what Eden?"
"That's why I sat you down in August to talk to you." Eden said, "I thought you understood what I was saying to you."
"That you wanted more from our relationship. Yes, I know Eden."
"But Egon," Eden said releasing his arm and backing away from him. "You told me that you didn't want me to get hurt. That you didn't want the tabloids to find out. That's why I'm dressed this way. I want you Egon Spengler. I wanted you since that night in August, but I knew that you didn't want me unless we were married."
"What are you talking about Eden?" Egon said, taking a step forward, only to have Eden back away from him again. "I didn't want the press to find out that we were sleeping together. They would have had a field day with that. If it wasn't for your career I would have gladly slept with you."
"Egon you clearly stated to me…" Eden trailed off lost in thought.
Maybe she had heard him wrong. Eden thought that Egon understood. Eden wanted a child and she wanted him to give her one. She thought that Egon was old fashion and wouldn't do so unless they were married. She had misread the man standing before her.
Egon saw Eden's hesitation. Did he misread what she had said to him that day? Was she after more than just a 'romp in the hay'? It had to be as he saw the shocked look in her eyes. Eden had wanted a child and by him.
"Eden…" he began, but before he could explain, Eden turned and ran off crying.
Egon took off after her, as Eden ran past her roommates.
"Eden, wait up!" Egon called, as he saw Helen take off after Eden and Iris turn his way.
Coming up to Iris, who was walking his way, Egon stopped in front of her only to be surprised by Iris slapping him hard across the face. Shocked Egon just stood there.
"I told her you weren't like Ben. What did you tell her? NO!" Iris yelled at him. "YOU…"
Grace caught Iris's hand before she could hit Egon again.
"Not here!" Grace hissed at Iris. "Follow me quickly Doctor Spengler we're drawing a crowd."
Egon could see that indeed they had started to draw attention to themselves, as he followed behind the women rubbing his sore face. Grace held Iris's hand the last four blocks to their apartment.
As soon as they were inside the apartment Iris exploded.
"Who do you think you are? That woman went through hell and back and you told her no!" Iris said, pacing the living room floor as Grace showed Egon over to the couch and pushed him down into it.
"Iris sit!" Grace said, pointing to a chair by the couch. "Helen!" Grace hollowed as Iris sat into the chair that Grace was pointing to. "Iris, Eden didn't tell Doctor Spengler about what happened here."
Helen came from down the hallway.
"She doesn't want to see him." Helen said pointing her finger at Egon. "She's pretty upset. Did you tell her no?"
"Look, what is going on here? I was talking to Eden about having a child and then she runs off. The next thing I know is that Iris is backhanding me across the face!" Egon said getting upset at Eden's roommates.
"Helen over there please." Grace said, pointing to the chair on the other side of the couch where Egon was sitting.
"Do you want me to call Paul?" Iris asked Grace.
"No. He's coming over soon anyways." Grace said as she came to sit on the coffee table in front of Egon.
"What I am about to say can't ever leave this room Doctor Spengler. If it does we could get in a lot of trouble and Iris, Paul, and me could go to jail. Do you understand?"
Egon gulped and nodded his head. This was serious. Jail? What had happened in June of last year that the girls and Paul could go to jail?
Grace sighed. Egon had a right to know. It was really Eden's place to tell him what had happened to her, but Grace felt she didn't have a choice. Egon was Eden's soul mate. Grace knew it and she didn't want him to disappear from Eden's life. If he did, Eden would kill herself in the end. Grace was sure of that.
"Doctor Spengler, it all started in March of 1988. Eden moved out here in January, but towards the end of March she started feeling ill. She finally went to see Paul in April to find out that she was pregnant."
"Pregnant?" Egon was shocked. So it was worse than him being a ghostbuster.
"Yes, no thanks to her horrible boyfriend." Iris spat. "Benedict Arnold."
"Benedict Arnold?" Egon questioned Grace.
"His last name was not Arnold, but his first name was Benedict. He liked to be called Ben. He lived in Utah. Eden didn't tell him that she was pregnant until June when he came out to see her."
Egon did some quick figuring in his head. "But how could she be sick in March? Wouldn't it have been in January?"
"Ben would fly out to see Eden once a month if he could." Helen told Egon. "The last time he was out was right before the end of March."
Egon nodded his head, now he understood. "I still don't see what that has to do with you going to jail? Where is Eden's baby now? Did Ben take the child when it was born, right before I met Eden? Maybe I can get her baby back for her."
"Not exactly." Grace said. Leaning forward she took Egon's hands in hers. Egon could feel that Grace's hands were trembling in his, but he remained quiet as Grace continued.
"Eden was three months pregnant at the time when Ben came out to see her again. Ben hadn't been out since that March. It was the last night that Eden had to sing in the chorus at the 'Met'. The season was over until the fall and Eden hadn't planned on going back until after the baby was born."
"Why?" Egon questioned.
"Because of what they did to Dana Barrett." Helen told him. "Everyone at the 'Met', except us, called her names and shunned her. We tried to be friends with her, and Eden went beyond that when she started carrying her cello for her when Dana was pregnant."
"Eden knew what it was like to be pregnant and alone too." Iris finished.
"So Eden was pregnant when Dana was too?" Egon asked.
"No, Doctor Spengler." Grace said.
Egon didn't understand. If Dana's baby Oscar was eight months old now, that put him being born in April of this year. Nine months back from that date would have put Oscar's conception about August of 1988. Eden being three months pregnant in June, was only two months before Dana's date. He was sure he had figured it out right.
"Well, no not at the same time." Egon tried to explain to Grace. "Dana…"
"No, Doctor Spengler." Grace stopped him, "Eden lost the child she was carrying in June."
"Holly Hanna!" Egon whispered, "No wonder she didn't want to tell me. How was she after the miscarriage? Did Ben know? Did she miscarry after he left?"
"Not really a true miscarriage." Helen said to Egon.
"What?" he said.
Wait. Three months pregnant and then Eden had told Ben. Egon turned to Helen. "Ben didn't make Eden get an abortion did he?"
"He tried to!" Iris pointed her finger at Egon, "Only Adam tried to stop him." A tear was in Iris's eye now.
Before Egon could ask who Adam was, Grace released her hold on his hands and took Egon's face instead.
"No more questions. This is hard enough as it is." Grace told him.
"Eden took Ben into her room right there." Grace nodded her head towards Iris's bedroom door.
Egon knew that Eden's room was at the end of the hallway, but he kept quiet as Grace continued. The girls must have switched bedrooms at some point before Egon met them.
"Eden showed Ben the test results that Paul had given her in April. She thought that Ben would be happy. We all heard him screaming at her. Calling her the 'S' word and yelling at her that he was going to 'cut it out of her'. Iris's boyfriend, Adam, was here at the time, as well as Paul. When Ben came out of Eden's room heading for the kitchen, Adam confronted Ben."
Iris picked up the story now, as Grace released Egon's face to wrap her arms around herself.
"Ben grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed Adam when he tried to stop him. Ben was agitated. I saw him stab Adam. Paul came to the kitchen just then. Paul refused to let me stay with Adam. He told me to go and save Eden. He would take care of Adam for me." Iris trailed off as she hung her head and cried into her hands.
Helen took over.
"Iris followed Ben back into Eden's room. Ben had taken Eden, before he went to the kitchen, and had backhanded her and then had thrown her into the wall. Eden had hit her head and was semiconscious. Iris saw Ben kick her in her stomach before he raised the knife to either kill Eden or cut the baby out of her. We don't know."
"I grabbed Ben's arm to try to stop him and he turned around and cut my face open." Iris said quietly between sobs, her face still buried in her hands.
So that explained Iris's scar and Eden's reaction to her statement of receiving the injury in Central Park.
Raising her face slightly from her hands Iris said, "I was able to take his hand, with the knife in it, and get it behind him as I was taught in my military training. But I couldn't get him to drop the knife." Iris dropped her face into her hands once again.
"Ben was larger than Iris was." Grace said. "He had increased energy and his pupils were dilated. Something was wrong with him I knew. I watched from the doorway of Eden's room while Iris tried to disarm Ben, but he was pulling her forward towards Eden. Iris did the only thing that she could have done."
"Iris was one of only a few females in Vietnam assigned to a combat zone. The boys in her unit wanted Iris to be safe." Helen told Egon. "They taught Iris how to kill someone with only their hands."
"I broke Ben's neck." Iris said raising her face from her hands. "I saved Eden's life by killing her boyfriend, and in return Ben killed mine."
Egon looked from Iris to Grace for an answer. Grace provided it.
"Ben's knife found Adam's aorta artery. By the time Iris went back to check on him, when it was all over, he had bled out and died in Paul's arms."
"No wonder Eden didn't want to tell me." Egon spoke quietly.
A key being turned in the front door caused them all to jump. Doctor Paul Stringham opened the door, briefcase in hand, and walked through it, closing it behind him.
"Grace…" he started to say trailing off as he turned around to see the four of them gathered in the living room.
Seeing Grace's tear stained face, Paul was across the room in an instant, dropping his briefcase by the front door.
"Grace what happened? Where's Eden? You didn't tell her 'no' did you Doctor Spengler?" Paul said taking Grace into his arms.
"No, Paul," Helen spoke, "We are telling Doctor Spengler what happened to her and Ben."
Suddenly alert, Paul turned his attention to Egon. "You can't tell anyone Doctor Spengler. I could end up losing my medical license and so could Grace. And then there is Iris to think about too. She'd never see the light of day again if she was to go to jail."
"Stop!" Egon said holding up his hands. "No one has explained to me why you would all go to jail. It was an accident that Adam died as far as I can see. Ben on the other hand, I would call self-defense."
"Where did you leave off Grace?" Paul asked.
Iris spoke up as Grace had her face buried in Paul's chest and was crying uncontrollably.
"Adam dying in the kitchen." Iris lost it and placed her face back into her hands.
"Okay, Doctor Spengler." Paul heaved a sigh. "I tried to save Adam's life while Iris went to save Eden's. Ben's knife had severed Adam's aorta in his heart. He was gone in under four minutes. There was nothing I could do to save him. Iris screaming from Eden's bedroom sent me running there. I found Iris sitting on the floor with Ben beside her. Iris's face had been cut open, from the bottom of her right ear to the corner of her mouth, and she was bleeding heavily."
"I made sure that Ben was dead before I let Helen and Grace come into the room. I sent Grace and Helen to attend to Iris, while I went to help Eden."
"Eden was drifting in and out of consciousness, and when I went to examine her to see how her baby was, my hand came away with blood on it. I knew that given Eden was 12 weeks pregnant that vaginal bleeding was a possible sign of a miscarriage."
"Eden went into spontaneous delivery of the fetus moments later, while I helped Paul and Helen attended to Iris's cut face." Grace said raising her head off of Paul's chest.
"Her baby girl didn't live outside the womb." Paul told Egon, "While the definition of 'stillbirth' varies by country, with Australia at 20 weeks and the United Kingdom at 24 weeks, the United States has no standard definition. To me Eden had delivered a stillborn baby girl, but that is not what I wrote on her medical chart."
"We didn't want Iris to go to jail or for Eden to lose her job for not showing up." Helen said. "So for all intents and purposes, Eden was hurt when a robber broke into the apartment."
"I doctored the medical records to show that Eden was having a heavy menstrual cycle brought about by the trauma of being thrown into the wall. Iris, because she just happened to be on her menstrual cycle that day, was the one who was having the miscarriage. We had to explain the dead fetus somehow." Paul told Egon.
"I labeled the tests wrong at the hospital to reflect the other person." Grace said.
"Adam's death was an accident from trying to confront the robber and Ben's death was considered a drug overdose, with Iris just causing him to lose consciousness from her arm around his throat. Ben's autopsy showed that he had cocaine in his body. This cover-up worked well, thanks to my friend Officer Johnson, who was the first one here after it happened. He testified on Iris's behalf, before he was killed in the line of duty later that week. The judge that tried Iris's case let Iris go on a not-guilty charge." Paul told Egon. "The only people who know what truly happened are sitting in this room."
"And Mr. Pavone?" Egon asked.
This was all too much for him to take. Eden's miscarriage, Iris killing Eden's boyfriend, and all the roommates covering it up to save Paul's, Grace's, and Eden's jobs.
"Yes and Mr. Pavone." Eden's voice could be heard from the hallway.
Immediately, Egon was on his feet and crossed the room to look down the hallway. Eden was leaning against the wall just out of sight. Her lovely French braid had started to come loose and her mascara was running down her face because she had been crying.
"Eden, I'm so sorry." Egon said, stepping forward to take her into his arms to comfort her.
"I don't need your pity Doctor Egon Spengler!" Eden spat at him, stepping back out of his reaching arms. "I needed for you to love me. I thought you knew what I was saying to you about our relationship, but I was wrong. I figured you were old fashion and wanted to be married before you gave me a child. That's why I dressed up tonight, that's why I had Mr. Pavone suggest marriage to you tonight. I was going to break with tradition and ask you for your hand in marriage tonight."
Eden threw a small black box Egon's way as she backed away down the hallway, tears in her eyes.
"Now I see that you are just like the rest of them! You told me so tonight. You would have gladly slept with me if no one found out. You just wanted a 'good time' with me. Another conquest for Doctor Spengler! Who cared if the press found out that I wanted a baby? Who was it going to hurt? Me, or was it going to hurt your reputation? After all I had been through, after all the sleepless nights, and blaming myself for what happened to Iris and me." Eden paused.
"Eden…" Egon tried again taking another step forward, only for Eden to back away from him.
Cutting him off Eden pointed her finger at Egon and yelled, "Don't you Eden me!"
Eden was upset and she was going to let Egon have it. Lock, stock, and both barrels.
"Do you know what it meant for me to be pregnant?" Eden spoke quietly now. "I love children. I want a large family, but the women in our family line have a hard time holding a pregnancy. Most end in miscarriages under eight weeks. I was lucky to have made it past that my mother told me. That was a sure sign that I would carry the baby to full term. My mother didn't care if I had that baby 'out of wedlock'. She just wanted me and the baby healthy."
Eden leaned against the wall, her strength gone now. Looking up at the ceiling she continued.
"I went into major depression when I lost my little girl, Egon. My roommates, the 'Met', and Mr. Pavone tried to keep me going and in happy spirits, until one night I couldn't take it any more. That was the night I met you."
Eden turned her face towards Egon, wiping her wet face with the sleeve of her black velvet dress.
"Do you know what it feels like to be totally alone in a room that is full of people?" she asked him.
Egon dropped his head to the floor. He knew what Eden was talking about. You feel so alone, so lost that everyone around you isn't there mentally.
"Yes, I do know what that feels like. You have lost everything worth living for. No one cares about you anymore. No one would miss you if you left. You turn to thoughts of ending your life." Egon told her.
Eden stared at Egon, his face to the floor. Was she hearing him right? Egon did know how she felt.
"I had gone to the 'Met' that night to hear Renee Fleming sing." Egon said, raising his face from the floor. "After that I was going to end my miserable life. But something happened while I was there. Your singing caught me off guard. You were Carmen that night. You knew how the character felt. Carmen wants Don Jose, and after finally getting him, she is bored with him and sends him home to his dying mother. When you threw down the ring that he had given her and tried to go after your new lover, Don Jose stabs Carmen and she dies."
"Your singing was telling me that you knew how I felt. I wasn't alone in the world anymore. There was something else to look forward too. I remember following you around after the performance. You were so upbeat and happy. Everything I wanted in my life at that moment in time. How could I approach you, in my miserable state of mind that I was in, to even tell you that you had saved my life in more ways than one." Egon said.
Egon looked into Eden's eyes. "That's when you approached me. Me? Of all the people in the world that were there that night, you came to me. To ask me if I wanted your autograph. What was I going to say to someone like you? My angel. I am sure I said something stupid to you."
"Egon you didn't say anything stupid to me." Eden said coming away from the wall. "You told me that I did a wonderful job. What you don't know is that I also wanted to end my worthless excuse of a life that night too. I sang my heart out because I felt like Carmen that night. An ugly duckling that no one wanted or cared about. After the performance I was going to go through with my plan, but when I set foot outside that stage door everything changed. People I didn't know wanted me. They needed me. They showered me with praises."
"I saw you following me." Eden said taking another step towards Egon. "You seemed scared to me, with that program of yours clenched to your chest. I had figured you had never asked anyone for an autograph before. What surprised me the most was when you grabbed my arm. I had flashbacks of Ben grabbing me before he threw me into the wall. I panicked, thinking that you were going to hurt me like Ben, but then you released me and called me by my full name, telling me that I had given you hope to go on living and then you kissed me."
Eden took another tentative step towards Egon as she said, "No one had touched me like you did that night. I didn't want anything to do with men after what I had gone through with Ben. Why would anyone want to stay with me after I told them what had happened to me. Your kiss stirred something in me. You didn't want anything from me, you only gave to me. Remember that rose you gave me?"
"Yes." Egon said. "That was the second time I saw you a few days later, but it was a different opera. I looked for you and found you in the chorus. I couldn't take my eyes off of you Eden. I gave you that single long stemmed rose, after the performance, that you pricked your finger on. I'm sorry."
"You told me that over and over again." Eden laughed. "I forgave you then."
"Well…" Egon said as he dropped to his knees and reached for the small black box on the floor in front of him.
Egon had a pretty good idea of what was in the box. If it turned out to be something else, well then he would be very embarrassed.
"Miss Eden Parnell," Egon told her. "Please forgive me now. I'm sorry for everything that I have put you through, but I can't lose you now. You have saved me, not only physically but mentally too. Please tell me that I haven't lost you, because I misunderstood what you were trying to tell me in August."
Egon held the small black box out to Eden.
"Egon, darling." Eden said, walking up to him and dropping onto her knees in front of him. "This is yours." she said opening the box and turning it around so that Egon could see inside.
Inside was a man's ring. Egon could see that the outside was of Celtic design on the surface. Eden had remembered when he had told her one day that he was fascinated by Celtic designs. Here was a token of her love for him and what he liked too.
"Eden I know that the ring is for me but I don't have one for you. I'm sorry." Egon said looking at the floor.
"Yes, you do." Iris said.
Egon turned his body to look behind him, only to see Iris disappear into her bedroom and return a few moments later, a small red box in her hands. Swallowing hard Iris walked over to Egon and dropped to her knees.
"Adam gave me this before he was killed that night. I want for you to have it." she told Egon offering him the box.
Egon handed the small black box that he was holding to Eden, as he took the small red box from Iris thanking her. Egon opened the box. Surprised he looked to Iris for an explanation.
"Adam proposed to me right before we heard Ben screaming." Iris said, a tear running down her cheek. "Adam would have wanted you to be happy Eden. He loved you, as do I. I never got a chance to wear it. Now I hope you can."
Turning his body back around to face Eden, Egon showed her the contents of the box. Inside were two rings. The engagement ring had a round diamond set above it with four pink roses, two on either side of the diamond. Vines were intertwined among the roses. The wedding band was of the same design minus the diamond. Four pink roses, intertwined with vines, ran around the length of the band.
"Iris you never told me." Eden said shocked. "I can't take this. It belongs to you."
"No, Eden." Iris said. "It belongs to you and Egon now. Please don't say no. You two belong together. Anyone with eyes can see that."
Iris continued. "I'm sorry for slapping you Doctor Spengler. I misunderstood what was going on with you two. Please forgive me."
Egon stood up, pulling Iris up with him, giving her a hug and kissing her on her right cheek. "I forgive you Iris and I'm truly sorry for your loss." Egon released Iris to offer Eden a hand up.
Eden took Egon's hand and stood up in front of him. Placing her arms around him and hugging him, she whispered into his ear that she was sorry and forgave him too. As she pulled away Egon looked into her face.
Egon wanted this woman before him and he didn't care about her past. Mr. Pavone, Iris, Charlie, Dana, and even Ray were right. Eden was his match. He wouldn't find another one like her in a million years. He would learn to love her. Releasing a breath, Egon fell to one knee in front of Eden and offered her Iris's ring.
"Miss Eden Lynn Parnell, will you marry me?" he asked.
Eden looked at Egon on the floor in front of her. He had not judged her for what had happened with Ben. She had heard him from her hiding place. Wanting to know where her baby was, wanting to bring it back to her, and finally concerned about her wellbeing after her miscarriage. Eden had been upset at Egon and once again when he had found out that he had wronged her, Egon had asked to be forgiven. Eden loved this man before her. She had planned on doing this tonight. Mr. Pavone had told her that just because someone doesn't say that they 'love you' out loud, doesn't make it any less meaningful. "Egon loved her," Mr. Pavone told her, "he just doesn't know how to say it yet."
"Only if you, Doctor Egon Einstein Spengler, will marry me." Eden told him dropping to one knee and offering Egon her box.
"Yes, I will." they said together.